Richard Foster will be greatly missed
On behalf of the community of Juneau, I express my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Rep. Richard Foster of Nome. Richard's passing leaves a deep sadness over the Legislature. From my first day on the job, Richard made me feel welcome and was always very supportive of the issues that I worked on. At times, when there was a lot of tension in the hallways of the capitol, Richard had a special gift in making people laugh.

Obama should answer to 'peace' efforts
President Obama is to be congratulated for his Nobel Peace Prize. His public relations people are doing better than Bush's people did in making him look good internationally.

Coast Guard hauls in buoys for winter
People in Florida thought Dan Burke was crazy when he left his job on a 175-foot Coast Guard buoy tender out of St. Petersburg, Fla., to come be the Officer in Charge of the 65-foot Elderberry out of Petersburg, Alaska.

Correction
An A1 story in Thursday's Juneau Empire about a Juneau man's DVD piracy case erroneously stated that Cliff Nelson, 55, had been arrested last year. Nelson was indicted last year and issued a court summons, but never arrested because he was not considered a flight risk, federal prosecutors said.

City addresses unruly bus riders
A sucker punch from an unruly passenger ended Deborah Munsell's job as a Capital Transit bus driver, a job she enjoyed for 7 ½ years.

Photo: Divine dance
Models Corle LaForce and Jin-Oak Ottoson-McKeen practice movements for their part in Saturday's Divine Dance fashion show at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center. Attendees were encouraged to come dressed as a god or goddess and dance with aspiring Kundalini-Dance teacher Amah Curry in a technique that uses self-healing movements.

Helping to build a trail
In volunteering to help build a new trail near the Jensen-Olson Arboretum, retired Juneau resident Steve Davis, 63, didn't realize how labor intensive the project would be. So he did what any normal avid runner would do - he enlisted the help of some hardy high school cross country runners.

Thanks to the guest presenters at our preschool family nights
More than 80 preschoolers and their families enjoyed a night of learning and having fun together at the downtown library Oct. 6. Preschool Family Night events are held the first Tuesday of each month from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and sponsored by Friends of the Juneau Public Libraries, AEYC, thread, Best Beginnings, Communities In Schools, and the Dornan Douglas Foundation. Thanks to special guests Rich Mattson from DIPAC, for bringing a fascinating array of sea creatures to explore, and to fisherman and fiddler Andy Fergeson who shared stories and music.

Social work ethics seminar to be held
JUNEAU - A seminar on "Social Work Ethics in the Workplace" will be offered by the National Association of Social Workers, Alaska Chapter, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Wildflower Court, 2000 Salmon Creek Lane, in the board room.

Beeman to present on US-Iranian relations
JUNEAU - The Juneau World Affairs Council is sponsoring Dr. William Beeman to to present "The Future of U.S.-Iranian Relations in the Obama Era" at 7 p.m. Saturday at the University of Alaska Southeast Egan Room.

Alaska Air Carriers Association seeks nominations for service awards
JUNEAU - The Alaska Air Carriers Association is actively seeking nominations for the AACA Service Awards. These awards recognize the exceptional merit of individuals or organizations who demonstrate the highest standards of performance and professionalism in the Alaskan aviation industry.

Photo: Addressing the crowd
Cancer Connection president Tish Griffin Satre addresses more than 375 attendees at the 2009 Women's Health Forum on Saturday at Centennial Hall.

Thanks to those who ran in our elections
I would like to thank the individuals who ran for office in our recent elections. I would also like to offer congratulations to the winners. It takes a great deal of courage to run for office. It's even harder to run for office again after losing once. That shows real commitment.

Thanks to the fans of JDHS varsity football
I am the head coach of the Juneau-Douglas High School Junior varsity football team and assistant coach of the Crimson Bears Varsity. I would like to thank the city of Juneau for being the best darn fans in the entire state. I have had the privilege to coach, and play at every 4A Large-School stadium in Alaska. I wish I could put into words how much of a factor you have all played in the success of Juneau over the last 20 years.

Thanks for rescuing out kitty from a tree
Latte, our beloved kitty, had been way up an alder tree for two days and nights when our friends and neighbors Bill and Etsuko Beebe saw an Alaska Electric Light & Power crew working just around the corner and asked if they could help rescue Latte with their cheery picker.

Thanks for donating to help our team repair, repaint a home
We would like to extend a great big "thanks and blessings" to Charlie and the fine folks of Valley Paint Center. These generous, community minded professionals donated primer, paint, equipment, materials and know-how to help our church's GOD JOBS team repair and repaint the interior of the home of a local family in need of assistance. We literally could not have completed this god job without their support!

Slotnick, Lindoff wed
Hannah Slotnick, of Juneau, and Anthony Lindoff, of Hoonah, were married Aug. 8, 2009, in a beach-side ceremony in Juneau, performed by the groom's aunt Leona Santiago, Commodore of the Yaanwaashaw women. A reception immediately followed the ceremony.

Farrell, Dedrick wed
Jessica Farrell, of Juneau, and Matthew Dedrick, of Tacoma, Wash., were married during a sunset ceremony on Sept. 12, 2009, in Seattle. The ceremony and reception were held at Ray's Boathouse in Ballard.

Recognitions
Army Pvt. Malcom-Jefrey C. Barril, a 2008 graduate of Juneau-Douglas High School, has graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla.

School wake up call: John Henry and the iPod
Remember John Henry, that American folk hero who stood up to the steam drill with nothing but his hammer? The old song tells us how he drove steel until his heart gave out and he "laid down his hammer and died, Lord, Lord."

Discussing the precious gifts of food and faith
This summer was a fabulous time to start a garden in Juneau. Many have just winterized our gardens with seaweed. It is a great time to give thanks for food and abundance of our wonderful earth.

Sealing the court
Judge Ricardo Urbina of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has been holding closed-door hearings in the case of five Blackwater security contractors accused of gunning down unarmed Iraqi civilians. A reporter from The Post learned of the hearings, which appear not to have been listed on the public docket; Urbina declined the newspaper's request to lift the secrecy order.

See you on the slopes
As the termination dust moves down the mountain in this beautiful Southeast fall, those of us who ski can not help but get excited at the impending arrival of winter. We can see the frosty bits of white on the autumn-colored peaks, and imagine the delightful snow-sports fun that awaits us in the coming months.

Your money does not belong to you
In September, I was on a long road trip. I was also pretty low on funds, but as evening came in Virginia, I was getting drowsy. No way I'd make it to Connecticut that night. I made some quick calculations and decided I could just afford a cheap motel room. I pulled off the highway.

Hunger feeds world turmoil
Every day, we wake up to headlines and images of devastating violence in hot spots around the globe. In Pakistan, for example, attacks over the last few weeks have killed scores and seriously injured many more.

My turn: Integrity lost in tribal politics
Did anyone notice who was in the background of the picture that was sprawled across the front page of the Oct. 11 Empire? Andy Ebona, the same guy who was featured on the front of the previous Sunday newspaper, featuring a story about a bankrupt ANB Camp 2, which is facing foreclosure because it hasn't paid its taxes in quite some time. Ironic that he stands in the foreground, as we have two Alaska Native politicians in the photo who are struggling to clean up the mess they have put themselves in.

Adult, minor arrested on burglary charges
JUNEAU - A 22-year-old Juneau man and 16-year-old juvenile have been charged with burglary after police received a report of a burglary at a residence in the Lucky Me community on Douglas Island.

Photo: October Splash
Right: Annie Hagen and Peyten Schultz cheer on Glacier Swim Club teammate Meg Kurland during Saturday's October Splash swim meet held at the Agustus Brown pool. Bottom left: Michaela Bentley prepares for the start of the girls 8-and-under 50-meter backstroke. Bottom right: Gabriel Loseby sports a Flintstone drawing on his arm to get psyched for competition.

Bears roll
The Kayhi volleyball team matched Southeast-champion Juneau-Douglas shot-for-shot for one game Friday, building a 24-22 game-point lead.

Pilot tried to rescue biologist
ANCHORAGE - As wildlife advocates mourned the plane-crash death of Gordon Haber - the biologist who spent 40 years documenting the lives and societies of Denali's wolves - his pilot was recovering Friday in a burn center in Seattle after hiking 20 miles back to civilization.

Mat-Su still strong amid weak economy
ANCHORAGE - While Alaska is feeling the effects of the down economy, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough is deflecting some of the economic problems with a string of important projects.

APOC rejects settlement for ballot initiative
ANCHORAGE - The Alaska Public Offices Commission has rejected a $35,000 payment proposed to settle allegations of campaign violations during a ballot fight last year over mining rules.

Heating fuel prices down
Fuel oil and diesel prices are down from last year's record highs, a relief for Alaskans who heat with oil and who are supplied with electricity generated by diesel.

Photo: High winds wreak havoc
Strong gusts on Thursday in Ketchikan blew the Sourdough Bar's fishing boat sign off its moorings on the downtown dock building, grounding the faux fishing boat on the edge of the roof. The sign was installed Oct. 31, 2000.